We're looking for a Manufacturing Strategy Lead to help OEMs de-risk and scale their hardware in a shifting global supply chain.

We're seeking an experienced, technically minded business development professional to join Inertia as our Manufacturing Strategy Lead. This role is designed for someone who understands the realities of modern hardware production and can speak credibly about supply chain risk, tariff pressure, and the challenges of scaling across North America and APAC.

You'll act as a trusted advisor to operations, engineering, and supply chain leaders, helping them navigate rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and unstable supplier ecosystems. You will position Inertia's hybrid North America and APAC manufacturing model as a strategic path to resilience, cost control, and predictable scale.

If you thrive at the intersection of manufacturing strategy, commercial problem-solving, and technical credibility, this role is for you.

Who We Are Looking For

You have:

• 5-10+ years of experience in B2B sales, technical business development, or customer-facing roles within manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, or industrial solutions.

• A track record of engaging OEM customers on complex, high-stakes initiatives where manufacturing, quality, cost, and supply chain decisions materially affect business outcomes.

• Experience or demonstrated exposure to selling or supporting complex hardware programs, such as medical devices, diagnostics, clean-tech, or industrial systems.

• Experience working alongside or within pilot builds, verification and validation workflows, or NPI programs, with a practical understanding of how products transition from development into stable production.

• Proven ability to navigate long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, engaging engineering, operations, supply chain, and executive decision-makers over extended timelines.

• Strong ability to diagnose customer problems, frame them clearly, and guide teams toward structured technical and commercial solutions.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to simplify complex manufacturing or supply chain challenges for senior leaders.

• A disciplined, organized approach to pipeline management, forecasting, and CRM hygiene.

You are someone who:

• Thrives in consultative, strategic conversations and is comfortable discussing manufacturing risk, supply chain exposure, cost-to-scale tradeoffs, and right-shoring strategies.

• Can credibly engage COOs, VPs of Operations, Engineering Directors, and Supply Chain leaders with a clear point of view on how manufacturing strategy must evolve under tariffs, cost inflation, and global instability.

• Listens intently, asks sharp questions, and communicates recommendations with confidence and humility.

• Is comfortable challenging assumptions respectfully and constructively when it serves the client's long-term success.

• Works collaboratively across engineering, project management, operations, finance, and quality teams.

• Takes ownership, follows through, and consistently delivers value to clients and internal stakeholders.

• Wants to play a meaningful role in helping complex hardware programs succeed in the real world, not just on paper.

Assets, Not Requirements

• Experience or exposure in the following areas is considered a strong asset, but not required:

• Direct experience operating in ISO 9001 and/or ISO 13485 quality management environments.

• Selling or supporting regulated manufacturing programs, including familiarity with documentation, traceability, or audit-driven workflows.

• Experience with dual-source, tariff-mitigation, or hybrid North America and APAC manufacturing strategies.

• Prior collaboration with manufacturing engineering, quality, or operations teams in a production environment.

• Experience selling complex, multi-disciplinary solutions with both technical and executive buying groups.

What Success Looks Like in the First 6 Months

• You have established a pipeline of companies facing tariff exposure, supplier instability, or cost-scale challenges and engaged them with a clear point of view on hybrid manufacturing strategy.

• You have positioned multiple prospects into entry-point programs such as readiness assessments or pilot builds.

• You have built strong cross-functional relationships inside Inertia to support quoting, scoping, and program transition.

• You have represented Inertia at relevant ecosystem events with measurable pipeline impact.

• Clients and internal teams describe you as strategic, credible, and effective.

Responsibilities

As a Manufacturing Strategy Lead reporting to the President, you will be responsible for identifying, developing, and converting new manufacturing opportunities that align with Inertia's integrated manufacturing strategy and dual-shore ecosystem.

Specifically, you will:

• Lead new business development efforts for Inertia's contract manufacturing services, targeting opportunities that align with our capabilities in low- to mid-volume production, product assembly, supply chain management, and value engineering.

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified manufacturing leads using inbound, outbound, and relationship-driven approaches, leveraging CRM data to drive disciplined follow-up and conversion.

• Identify OEMs facing tariff pressure, unstable supply chains, long lead times, or escalating North American manufacturing costs, and position Inertia's hybrid North America and APAC model as a strategic alternative.

• Support the creation and delivery of proposals and quotations in partnership with Manufacturing Operations and Finance, ensuring technical accuracy, commercial competitiveness, and alignment with Inertia's value proposition.

• Represent Inertia externally at tradeshows, conferences, and client meetings to position Inertia as a trusted manufacturing partner within Canada and international markets.

• Cultivate relationships with ecosystem partners, including accelerators, industry trade organizations, component suppliers, and distributors, to build a network that supports scalable and competitive supply chain solutions.

• Analyze and report on sales performance, pipeline metrics, and market intelligence to inform go-to-market strategy and continuous improvement of sales processes.

• Collaborate with Marketing to shape campaigns, content, and case studies that attract high-fit manufacturing clients and communicate Inertia's unique hybrid development-to-manufacturing model.

• Champion client satisfaction through attentive communication, effective scoping, and consistent follow-up, ensuring client needs are met or exceeded throughout the engagement.

• Contribute to strategic account growth by identifying opportunities for repeat business, value engineering, and long-term manufacturing partnerships.

• Continuously improve sales operations, including CRM discipline, quoting workflows, and proposal templates to support scalability and efficiency.

• Actively promote health, safety, and quality, ensuring all opportunities align with Inertia's ISO-certified management systems and commitment to excellence.

• Perform other relevant duties as may be assigned.

Employment Type: Full Time

Primary Work Location: We will consider remote or hybrid within Southwestern Ontario (Kitchener/Waterloo preferred). Our base office is out of our34 Kern Road, Unit 3, Toronto, Ontario, Canada office. Must be able to work in the office to support project and team needs as required.Must be legally permitted to work in Canada. Occasional international travel may be required.

Compensation: We offer a competitive compensation package including a base salary in the range of $90,000-$120,000, plus a performance-based bonus tied to new manufacturing opportunities, client acquisition, and successful transition of programs into production. Final offers will be based on experience, capability, and overall fit.

Interview Process:

• Phone screening with Human Resources

• Remote or in-person interview with Hiring Manager + Inertia team member

• In-personinterview with 2-3Inertia team memberswhere you present on a past project

• Offer, subject to reference calls

How to Apply: If this feels like a role and place where you will thrive, please submit your application online via our website at https://www.inertiapd.com/culture-careers/.

Learn More: Visit us at www.inertiapd.com and on LinkedIn at Inertia.